ed to quench the thirst of the most
overweening ambition that could possess the heart of any craftsman, be
he who he may. Nor could he have obtained in this life greater
dignities, honour, or rank, seeing that he was regarded with favour and
much esteemed beyond any other man of his profession by a King so great
as is the King of France. And, indeed, his merits were such, that, if
Fortune had secured less for him, she would have done him a very great
wrong, for the reason that Rosso, in addition to his painting, was
endowed with a most beautiful presence; his manner of speech was
gracious and grave; he was an excellent musician, and had a fine
knowledge of philosophy; and what was of greater import than all his
other splendid qualities was this, that he always showed the invention
of a poet in the grouping of his figures, besides being bold and
well-grounded in draughtsmanship, graceful in manner, sublime in the
highest flights of imagination, and a master of beautiful composition of
scenes. In architecture he showed an extraordinary excellence; and he
was always, however poor in circumstances, rich in the grandeur of his
spirit. For this reason, whosoever shall follow in the labours of
painting the walk pursued by Rosso, must be celebrated without ceasing,
as are that master's works, which have no equals in boldness and are
executed without effort and strain, since he kept them free of that dry
and painful elaboration to which so many subject themselves in order to
veil the worthlessness of their works with the cloak of importance.

In his youth, Rosso drew from the cartoon of Michelagnolo, and would
study art with but few masters, having a certain opinion of his own that
conflicted with their manners; as may be seen from a shrine executed in
fresco for Piero Bartoli at Marignolle, without the Porta a S. Piero
Gattolini in Florence, containing a Dead Christ, wherein he began to
show how great was his desire for a manner bold and grand, graceful and
marvellous beyond that of all others. While still a beardless boy, at
the time when Lorenzo Pucci was made a Cardinal by Pope Leo, he executed
over the door of S. Sebastiano de' Servi the arms of the Pucci, with two
figures, which made the craftsmen of that day marvel, for no one
expected for him such a result as he achieved. Wherefore he so grew in
courage, that, after having painted a picture with a half-length figure
of Our Lady and a head of S. John the Evangelist for Mae